


Kisses Under the Willow Tree

by helenumbrella



Series: girls and milk and honey [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 07:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10986480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helenumbrella/pseuds/helenumbrella
Summary: padma patil and her boy.





	Kisses Under the Willow Tree

Padma Patil is always cautious. Her sister Parvati is the more popular of the two, she knows from rumors of Lavender's exploits and her sister's dealings that the way they separate the twins is by who actually talks in class. They say she's cold, untelling, always judging you with her perceptive brown eyes, always listening, never talking. Padma tries to sit next to the windows in her classes, the heat of the sun on her skin reassures her that someone is taking care of her. Her classmates still whisper.

Padma doesn't mind all that much -- after all, she's the one that placates her family at home, she's the one who studies harder, she's the one who dates Terry Boot secretly for 4 of her 7 years at Hogwarts. Nobody knows because they're all too busy with each other. But when she studies at the library, Terry's hand will sweetly creep into her hand under the table, and she'll glance at him and smile. It's Padma's first love, and she was always told that the first love would always be the one she'd latch onto the hardest. She tries not to drive Terry away: she takes care of him when he's sick, she sneaks chocolate to him, and winks at him cheekily in between classes. Terry will surprise her with a kiss behind the Honeydukes, correct her Herbology homework, and writes handwritten letters to her weekly. One time, he catches her chin in his palm, looks at her in the eyes, and cheerfully announces that he'll love her and only her forever. Padma is ecstatic.

The first time Padma introduces her parents to her boyfriend is after the Battle of Hogwarts. She leads her parents to the elevator, presses the 7th floor button, and turns left at the first hallway. Their initial anger is displaced with sorrow. "How long has he been here?", her mother asks. Padma unhooks the clipboard at the end of the bed and reads: "Terry Boot. St. Mungo's Check-In date: May 2nd, 1997." Her father gives his blessing to an unconscious Terry. Padma sits and waits, and goes back to Hogwarts, only to come back on weekends, parchment assignments about Potions left in her bag as she smooths his hair and cleans his hands with a wet towel. The nurses at St. Mungo's whisper much like her friends did at Hogwarts. This time, they are more positive than not. "True love.", they all muse, "Watch how she holds him in her gaze, watch how she tells him about her week and how she misses him, and how she knows he'll respond soon. Poor girl. He may never wake up." Padma grits her teeth and keeps wiping his face, keeps kissing him carefully on the nose. She prays.

When he wakes up, Padma is the first thing he sees. Terry doesn't remember much of the battle, but remembers his sweet girlfriend. She cries, loudly, weeping sobs that only betray the time she spends on his welfare. The nurses keep quiet. Padma sublets an apartment so her roommates don't have to deal with him moving in and being useless at basic tasks. The next two years are his therapy, walking and talking and remembering. As soon as he is discharged, he proposes. Padma accepts.

By some reversal of fortune, Padma is the first one to pass away. She's sick with some sort of rare cancer, and the scenario is reversed. He's 50, his own two sons 12 and 17, trailing behind him as he visits her every weekend. The nurses at St. Mungo's whisper much like Padma's friends did at Hogwarts. This time, they are more positive than not. "True love.", they all muse, "Watch how he holds her in his gaze, watch how he tells her about his week and how he misses her, and how he knows she'll respond soon. Poor old man. She may never wake up." Terry grits his teeth and keeps wiping her face, keeps kissing her carefully on the nose. He prays. Padma doesn't wake up.

When Terry is on his deathbed 20 years later, he remembers Padma Patil, his wife and best friend, sitting with him in their 5th year, her head on his shoulder, underneath the big willow tree near the back of the school. Her hair is in it's neat plaits as always, but her eyes are bright and her smile is infectious. She takes his hand and kisses him, and he tastes _sunshine sunshine sunshine_.


End file.
